Charlotte FC’s U17 squad will play MLS opposition in invitational tournament hosted by Atlanta United
CHARLOTTE—The U17 Academy side will face three MLS opponents over Memorial Day Weekend as part of an invitational showcase tournament hosted by Atlanta United.
The MLS NEXT-coordinated event—which is being staged in lieu of the annual Generation adidas Cup—will feature 10 MLS Academy teams.
Charlotte FC will play the Philadelphia Union on Friday, May 28; NYCFC on Saturday, May 29 and FC Cincinnati on Monday, May 31.
This will represent Charlotte FC’s first meeting with each opponent. The U17 tournament will also feature Atlanta Utd, Inter Miami, FC Dallas, Columbus Crew, LA Galaxy and Orlando SC.
“This event will serve as an excellent precursor to the standard of competition we will face in 2021-22, which will include the return of the prestigious Generation adidas Cup and the MLS League in MLS NEXT.” says U17 Head Coach and Academy Manager Dan Lock. “The competitions available to our teams are the highest level in the U.S. and will further challenge and develop our Academy players.
“This will be the first time we are facing the likes of Philly, NYCFC and FCC, and we’re excited to start playing against MLS opponents from different regions, now that travel has opened up.
“We have a young squad, with 14 of our squad of 20 still only U16. The games will provide our players with different solutions to solve and help prepare our players for the playoffs in June, as well as future high-level events”.
Atlanta Utd. will be streaming select games from the showcase tournament (information to follow).
The U17 side—who boast a 7-2-0 record in MLS Next competition—have also qualified for the inaugural MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs. The team will travel to Dallas, Texas in June for the single-elimination competition, featuring 32 teams.
